Delayed trip works out well for PU field hockey
By: Justin Feil
For an international trip that looked like it might never happen, the Princeton University field hockey team was overjoyed by the outcome of its week spent in Argentina.
The Tigers were supposed to have traveled to Argentina during their spring recess, however, the trip had to be rescheduled for July due to a snowstorm in New Jersey. As Princeton prepared to depart July 9 for its trip, it was met with the news that snow in Argentina snow in Argentina! would delay their takeoff.
"While we were in the airport, they had a snowstorm, their first in 81 years," said PU field hockey coach Kristen Holmes-Winn. "We were only delayed an hour though and by the time we landed, the snow had melted. We had beautiful blue skies all week. It was high 50s, low 60s."
Not bad for winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The weather and the outlook for the trip brightened considerably upon arrival.
"It was supposed to be in March," Holmes-Winn said of the trip. "But we had a storm and we couldn’t get out. We would have missed half the trip when it was finally possible to fly, so we had to postpone it. It did turn out to be blessing in disguise. We were able to take our lacrosse players. And we were able to take our seniors. In March, they would not have been able to come because of their thesis work.
"Normally, we wouldn’t have looked at the summer because of their internships, but everyone was able to swing it. We took the whole team. And it’s much closer to preseason so it helps us prepare. It couldn’t have worked out better."
The field hockey team was more than tested in its three games. The Tigers did not win any of them, but they got plenty of benefits from the trip, many of which came from off the field.
"Just from a cultural perspective, Zag field hockey, the agency we used, they did a great job of creating a really diverse itinerary," Holmes-Winn said. "We were going non-stop. We saw all different culture. We visited a gaucho ranch, had tango lessons, tried plenty of different Argentine food, went to Uruguay and toured Colonia.
"The field hockey down there was phenomenal. They play at a fast pace and have great skills."
Princeton lost its first game, 7-1, to St. Catherine’s, which would host the Tigers at the end of the trip. Four of the Argentine team’s players had national team experience and one had played in two Olympic Games. The Tigers also lost to CASI Hockey Club, which they were warned was stronger than St. Catherine’s, 3-2. In a final rematch with St. Catherine’s, Princeton fell, 4-1.
"It’s more of a high-performance level," Holmes-Winn said of their opponents. "It would be like combining an all-star college team, that was level of the clubs. It was a very high level.
"We weren’t looking to peak at that time, but we wanted to compete and do the best we could to stay up with the play. It created a nice sense of urgency with our group. Having matches, with our summer conditioning it created an urgency for where we need to go forward and have the dedication to our fitness and find ways to play."
The Argentine style was a new look for Princeton, which comes off an Ivy League championship season in which it loses just two seniors.
"It’s really being exposed to how quickly they play the game," Holmes-Winn said. "Their transition from attack to defense and from defense to attack is so quick, and how everyone attacks (is different from many teams). There wasn’t a weak link on the field. And they swing on the ball when they shoot. They really find a way to get their shot off. That reinforced some of the little things we try to teach the girls. For them to see it in action was great. It’s useful going forward."
Just as important, the trip gave the Tigers a unique bonding experience. NCAA rules permit teams to take one such international trip every four years. It was something that Holmes-Winn, who has been all around the world as a part of the US national team, was looking forward to. Argentina seemed a perfect choice for a destination.
"The hockey is really great," she said. "I like the idea of going there. We didn’t have a super long time to be down there. There’s only an hour difference, and sometimes it can take you a while to get going (if there’s a big time difference) .
"It was great for our team to be together, and being away from Princeton was neat," she added. "It allowed us to bond in a way we wouldn’t normally be able to do on campus. It’s hard to predict the future, but it gives us a greater sense of camaraderie going into the preseason and allows us to stay more bonded."
The Tigers have just over a month when they will come back together to start practicing for the 2007 season. Holmes-Winn will co-direct a camp from Aug. 15-17 at Stuart Country Day along with US national team coach Nick Conway. Conway is the former associate head coach at North Carolina, where he led the Tar Heels to the 1995, 1996 and 1997 national titles. Information is available at www.ce-fieldhockey.com.